"Poison Oak"

In my memory I see him,

Riding tall and strong,

I was just a kid back then,

When he came along.

Said that he could cowboy,

And Daddy said we’ll see,

But pretty soon no question,

A cowboy, that was he.

When it came to movin’ cattle,

He did it quiet and sure,

And if he had to rope one,

No reason you’d endure,

Lots of throws and misses,

‘Cause he almost never missed,

And there were lots of side bets,

You’d best not bet against.

I saw him catch ‘em underhand,

And yes, a figure eight,

And if he tried a Houlihan,

I could hardly wait,

For the loop to find its target,

And for him to lead ‘em back,

We were tied on hard and fast,

But he dallied up his slack.

Could always tell a sick one,

And knew just what to do,

From starting up a young horse,

To tacking on a shoe.

One time when we were riding,

I asked for bathroom break,

We were way off in some pasture,

And I failed to take,

Anything to help me,

To get my business done,

He advised I use some leaves,

Don’t worry ‘bout it, son.

But I managed to use poison oak,

And when it took ahold,

I was laid up in the bed,

And now the story’s told.

I got well and tagged along,

And tried my best to learn,

And then he got a notice,

A draft card others burned.

But he went off to Viet Nam,

He shipped out where they sent,

Then came home about the time,

My Dad’s last dime was spent.

Dad sold everything we had,

And we all moved to town,

And my old cowboy buddy,

Rarely came around.

Years have passed, I think of him,

And just the other day,

At an old friend’s funeral,

I heard somebody say,

How have you been doing,

And there that cowboy stood,

He hugged me and I shook his hand,

And both of us felt good.

And then he laughed and asked me,

Remember ‘bout that time,

You used the poison oak leaves,

To clean yourself up fine.

Said yes, I do remember,

And how could I forget,

He just stood there chucklin’,

And so did I, you bet.

We went on and parted ways,

To Texas I returned,

He sells livestock in old Bama,

Successfully, I’ve learned.

But with so many memories,

It’s really was some fun,

When we talked of long ago,

And ‘specially that one.

“So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized these pleasures are from the hand of God…” (Ecclesiastes 2:24, NLT)

The book of Ecclesiastes reflects the honest struggle of one man and all men with the absurdities of life. But throughout the book, there is important wisdom about what matters and what doesn’t. Being able to enjoy small blessings and find satisfaction in our work is truly something God gives us. To be able to look back and enjoy a humorous moment with an old friend is worth a lot. I praise the Lord for it.

Lord, help us enjoy the small things, and put all our activities in Your hands, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Alfredo Rogriguez, alfredoartist.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Alfredo, and God bless you.